Automobile-steering-wheel lock.



H. A. HUSIED.

AUTOMOBILE STEERING WHEEL Locxi AP LICATION FILED IAN. II, 1918.

T E E H S g I I I HI A, AUTOMOBILE STEE USIEDQ me WHEEL L00:

AP LICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1918. 1

' Pdifli'ififl Bea 16,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR VJITNESSSES HARRY A. BUSTED, F YOUNGSTOWVN, QHIO, ASSIGNOR. T0 HUST'ED MANUFAC- TUBING (30., OF YQUNG $TGV N, 0310.

AUTUMOBILE-STEERIN LUCK.

messes.

Specification of Letters Peters.

Paiienieel Elie-c. 3M 9319.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that Z, A-RRY A. Hns'riin, s. resident of"Youngstown, in the county of Mahoninp; and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ami-0mm hile-Stecring-Wheel Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to looks for automoh'les.

ll ore partieiiliirly clcs, which when applied prevents the steering, of she vehicle, and which also prevents movementof the car in :i' normal forward (lll'tziilOll, so as to prohibit, its being eowed hehinil another car. Uther objects of the invention are to provide a lock which will he strong, which can not be easily broken or pried open by chisels and such tools, which. will not rattle, in which all of the Tomovnhle pin-ts will be covered when the lock; is closed, and in which the general eonsfirizeiion will he simple, economical, and (iursble. Other objects and. advantages will appear throughout the followingspecification, and will be apparent to those familiar with such devices.

Referring to he drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the lock applied,

and in operation on an ordinary aui'omohile steering Wheel; Fig. 2 is a plan view or she seecringg wheel with the lock sppliedgFig. 3 is c section through the lock parallel to the steering post, on. the line 3-3 of Fig, 5. Fig. 4 is {L sect-ion similar to that of Fig-3;. 3, but when on edifi'erent line, anii in clotted line indicating the lock in disengaged position; Fig. 5 is a cross section through the smelting post and lock on the line 5--5 of Fig. 41-; Fig. 6 is a. cross section on the line 6 5 of Fig". 7; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

With, the multiplication of automobiles during the last few years, it has been rendered very easy to steel cars, either permsnently or merely for temporary use. In cii-ies shis practice has reached large proporeions, and the necessiiy of efficient iocking; means has become continuously more apparent. Various forms of locks hove been useei, ishe orclinsry one a, key coetroi ling the lgiil ifin swiich. This letter form of. ioclr, however, is not very efiicient, since a person familiar with the structure of smtomobiles can usually fiiort circuit the connecting wires beyond the SWiiltli snrender (he object of the invent1oii 13 to provide a lock for met 1' vein.-

the lock ineliective. Furthermore, the keys for such switch locks are usually not intricate, and a master key will open the locks of all cars of a certain nml-ze, or may be of several makes.

The present invention proposes to avoid she difficulties experienced in previous constructions by making a iiiechenicel lock onpliesihle directly to the steering" Wheel. This does not aii' eet the igfiition or running; of the engine, biifi simply renders liLilHQOSSlblG to since he ear. Maii'festiy this renders the driving e. "225' of the automobile so locked impossible.

The. device is apolied ie the steering post 1 of ari automobile iiy means of two semi-cir cular castings 2 and 3, having at choir edges flanges 4i and 5, respectively, adapted to be secured ieget-her by screws 6, through said flanges. The screws (iiirefersbiy have reguler bolt heads, positioi'ied inside the casing so shes they can not 39% removed when the lock is cpplieci.

The semi-circular members 2 and. 3 may be made of any iiesired size. in order to fit steering ipostsioi various diameters, hurt it is preferable co maize these members of :i'

large stam'isrcl size and to'fit them to imy size steering post bys iplying a suitable number of shims, to fill in any space that may he left between a smaller steering; post, and the semi-circular members 2 ancl 3'. These shims are made in. semi-circular parts '3' e216. 8, to go uneier the members 2 and 3, respectively. The shims 7 are punched up,

or corrugated, so as so fit into each other in;

until the sharp point has been emhediiecl inthe sieerii g post l, sfter which the screw hen-cl 1s iileelofi leaving the screw body flush with the outer surface of the member thus permanently locking the clamping members 2 and 3 against movememfi on the post 'i., and preventing. the removal of the screw itself.

A'msin casing member 10 is pivoi-olly mounted on the clamping member 3- by have been driven to their normal position in the member 3, their heads are tiled or ground oii', flush with the surface of the casing 10, so that they car'. 'not be removed by any ordinary tools, for the purpose of picking the lock.

The portion of the casing 10 through which the screws 11 pass, is extended below the meeting line of flanges 4- and 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, so that a chisel can. not be driven in through the sides to separate these flanges. At the end of the casing member 10 opposite that of its attachment to the mem er'3, is mounted a latch 12, by means of a screw 13, extending through two lugs 14, on the casing, and a central dovetailed lug 14* on the latch 12. The screw 13 is preferably threaded at e:.ch end, adapted to engage threaded bores in the lugs 14, and smooth at its middle portion, forming a bearin for the latch member 12. A cylindrical Tore through the lug 14 is adapted to fit over the pin at its middle point. After the screw 13 has been turned in to proper engagement both ends are filed off flush with the casting so that the screw can not be taken outwith any ordinary tools. The latch has a channel 15 on the underside near its middle point, and at its free end an extension '16 carries a beveled locking lug 17, adapted to'engage a spring pressed beveled edge locking bolt head 18, positioned inside the main casing 10, and forming a portion of the look below described. The upper end of the casing member 10, beneath the channel 15 in the latch member, is cut away to cooperate with the channel 15, in order to present sufficient space to permit passage of one of the spider arms 19, of a steering wheel 20. The channel 15, and corresponding channel in the main casing member, to gether form a spoke-engaging openin as shown in Fig. 7, and his opening may be of any desired size and shape, so as to properly engage the spider arm of any particular design of steering wheel.

The main casing member 10 is formed with a lock receiving chamber, open from Y the inner side of the casing. A roundehole extends from this chamber, through a circular projection 21, on the upper side of the casing 10. The chamber referred to is adapted to receive a lock, which may be of any desired form or make, and the key receiving portion of the lock is passed through the bore in the extension 21, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The chambercontaining the lock is closed by a member 22, fastening to the main casing by screw 23, the head of which lies on the underside of the main lock, where it is not accessible for removahwhile the lock is in position on the steering post.

The lock itself, may be of any desired form, and as details of that mechanism are not peculiar to this invention, they are not fully described herein. The lockhas an exterior key hole 24:, and the key inserted therethrough is adapted "to engage the lock ing bolt member 25, positioned across the interior lock cavity, and having at one end the beveled latch head 18, and having its other end slidably mounted in a raised lug 26. A coil spring 27 bears against the lug 26 at one end, and against a collar 28 at the other end, constantly driving the beveled head 18 into locking position. By this mech anism, a spring latch is provided so that the latch member 12 is locked by simply pressing it down until the beveled lug 17 passes below the bolt head 18, after which to release the lock it is necessary to pull the bolt 25 out of engagement with a key.

Preferably, als-s'o a spring 29 is mounted between the main casing 10, and the clamping member 3, so that when the latch 12 is raised, releasing the spider arms 19, the main locking casing 10 will drop down out of engagement with the steering wheel, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and will be retained in that position under spring pressure while the vehicle is in use. The pressure of the spring 29 is adapted to prevent any rattling or noise that might otherwise result from vibration of the car when the lock is disengaged.

The lock is mounted on the steering post so that the opening shown in Fig. 7, which is adapted to fit over one of the spider arms 19, is a little to one side of the vertical diameter of the steering post. Steering wheels are attached to the steering post so that the spiders, four in number, apart, are in respective vertical and horizontal position with respect to the steering post, when the vehicle is being steered directly ahead. By positioning this lock a little out of tho vortical plane, the steering wheel will be held so that the vehicle front wheels will be di rectly slightly to one side, and consequently, if the vehicle is driven, it will necessarily move in a circle. This will result in running it off any straight road, and will alsoprevent its being towed.

I claim:

1. An automobile lock, comprising a split member embracing the steering post, means for clamping the same rigidly to the steering post, a lock-containing member pivotally attached to said s lit member and arranged to swing into and out of engagement with the stcering wheel and formed, when in Wheel engaging position, to conceal the clamping means and joint or said split memher, the pivot connecting the lock-containing member to the split member comprising twoportions separated by the metal of the split member and each terminating flush with the exterior surface of said members, and means for locking said lock-containing mom-- her to the steering Wheel.

2. An automobile lock comprising a member rigidly clamped on the steering post, a lock-containing member pivotally attached to said rigid member and arranged to swing into and out of engagement with a spoke of the steering Wheel immediately adjacent to the hub thereof a latch member carried by said; lock-containing member and arranged to pass over the spoke said iockcontaining member being provided with a recess from its face which lies in contact with the steering post when said member is in locking position, and a locking member in said recess arranged to engage said latch.

3. An automobile ioclr comprising a her clamped on the steering post, a lockcontaining casing pivotally attached to the clamped member so as to swin into spoke and lock it in fixed relation to the v casing:

i. n automobile jock, comprislng a member rigidiy secured on the steering post,

a lock-containing member pivotally attached to said rigid member and arranged to swing into and out of engagement with the steering Wheel, means for locking said last named member to the steering Wheel, and a spring normally concealed between said rigid member and said pivoted member and arranged to throw said pivoted member to open position and hold it against rattling when in unlocked position.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto my hand.

A. BUSTED Witnesses H. Lnirnsonn, SUE B. Franz 

